Sunday, 7 September 2014

Puy Lentil and Quinoa Sumac Salad

With summer coming to a close, this salad is ideal for the transition into autumn, being fresh and herby yet substantial and filling enough for the colder days to come. Despite containing big bunches of various different herbs, none overpower the dish, and together with the tangy sumac and citrus they manage to uplift the quinoa and Puy lentils - pulses which, lets be honest, can sometimes be lacking in the flavour department. As well as being delicious, this salad is also very nutritious - perfect for those of us who may have over-indulged a little on holiday... The recipe comes from Sabrina Ghayour's debut book Persiana which I found very inspiring and an ideal starting point if you're fairly new to Middle-Eastern cooking. Although it makes a great lunch or light meal by itself, this salad also works well as a side-dish with chicken or fish.

For a large bowl to serve 6-8 you will need…

200g quinoa

250g Puy lentils

500g cherry tomatoes, halved

100g flat leaf parsley, stalks and leaves finely chopped

20g coriander, stalks and leaves finely chopped

40g mint leaves, finely chopped

1 bunch spring onions, finely sliced

4 tbsp olive oil

Juice of 2 large or 3 small lemons

1 heaped tbsp sumac

Salt & pepper to season

You will need to…

- Cook lentils and quinoa separately as per their packet instructions. Rinse well in cold water then drain and set aside to cool. N.B - When cooking quinoa be sure to toast it in a dry pan before simmering in water, as develops the nutty flavour. See our Quinoa Superfood Salad recipe for more instructions on this.

- Combine all the remaining ingredients in a large mixing bowl and season generously with salt and pepper. Add the cooked and cooled quinoa and lentils and mix well to endure everything is evenly coated in the dressing. Be sure to taste your salad and adjust seasonings to suit you.

- Refrigerate for a couple of hours before serving to allow all the flavours to develop.